Mapping applications operate on a variety of devices to display maps to users. Maps may graphically represent spatial data that is generated from measurements made at particular locations. For example, a rainfall map may reflect various measurements of rainfall in a mapped area during the month of January.
Existing mapping applications may display a variety of maps to a user. To view a map, the user typically navigates through a hierarchy of file menus by providing numerous instances of user input from keypads, keyboards, various pointing devices, or other input devices to locate and select the map. Once the map is located and selected for viewing, the map is loaded into memory for display on the device. To open a new map for viewing, the user must re-navigate through the hierarchy of file menus to locate and select the new map.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.